IRS mailed my refund instead

Question

I filled out the routing# and account#'s on my form and checked off savings account yet the IRS mailed my refund anyhow.  I verified that info is on my 1040. So what happenned that they didn't do direct deposit?

kiarab · Answer

Hello again,

It is hard to know, and we do not know for sure if the problem is on the IRS's side or your bank's side. I would recommend next year that you try a different account, if you have one, and see what happens.

lt14 · Answer

GeorgeM,

Thanks for that but none apply. I have no spouse and accounts are my own.  This is the  only such deposit I've had. I guess it will remain a mystery.  I appreciate your attempt to help me.

I verified the  numbers and there were blank spaces after the account # so I wonder if the IRS required leading zeros even though the bank has none.

GeorgeM · Answer

Hello lt14:

While a definitive answer to your question may remain unknown, in their FAQs about tax refunds, the Department of the Treasury provides the following:

“Your refund should only be deposited directly into accounts that are in your own name, your spouse's name or both, if it's a joint account. These are some of the reasons a financial institution may reject a direct deposit, resulting in a paper check. Also, no more than three electronic refunds can be directly deposited into a single financial account or pre-paid debit card. Taxpayers who exceed the limit will receive an IRS notice and a paper refund.”